Massachusetts
Seven high school sports takeaways from the final day of the MIAA football regular season – The Boston Globe
Find all the scores here. Final football conference standings live here. We also have final boys’ and girls’ soccer standings. Today’s headlines:
▪ It was the biggest win of the day, and a monumental one for St. John’s Prep coach Brian St. Pierre, who notched his 100th career win with a 43-28 defeat of No. 3 Catholic Memorial. St. Pierre is in his 12th season at the helm of his alma mater, where he was named Gatorade Player of the Year and quarterbacked the Eagles to a 1997 Super Bowl title before going on to play at Boston College and earn a fifth-round draft selection to the NFL, where he played for four teams in an eight-year career.
He is the third coach in Prep history to reach 100 wins, joining Fred Glatz and Jim O’Leary.
▪ Andover senior Naomi Vajda recorded her 100th career block among three rejections in a 3-0 Division 1 first-round girls’ volleyball win over Boston Latin. Vajda added six kills and four aces.
▪ Despite an 0-5 start, Brockton rallied to win the Big Three Conference with a 23-0 blanking of Durfee, which came a week after they destroyed New Bedford, 41-0. Casey Rhodes, Marcio Semedo, and Jarred Mighty scored Saturday as the Boxers (3-5, 2-0) also punched their ticket to the Division 1 tournament.
▪ With a 31-28 win over Loomis Chaffee, Avon Old Farms (Conn.) wrapped up an undefeated season (8-0) and captured the Founders League title.
▪ Nobles boys’ soccer defeated Brooks, 3-1, to secure the Independent School League crown.
▪ Minuteman boys’ soccer dispensed with McCann Tech, 5-1, to win the State Vocational Small School championship. The Greater New Bedford boys defeated Greater Lowell, 3-0, for the Large School title.
Congratulations to our Boys ⚽️ Team for reclaiming the seat a top Vocational Boys Soccer with the 2025 State Vocational Championship. The team defeated Gr Lowell 3-0 pic.twitter.com/8atj06V8kp
— GNBVT Athletics (@GNBVTathletics) November 2, 2025
Ellis Barnes, BB&N — The senior defensive back, who is committed to Columbia, came up big for the Knights in a 17-7 NEPSAC win over St. Paul’s (N.H.), picking off two passes and making seven tackles.
Peter Bourque, Tabor — A regular in this space, the Michigan-bound quarterback showed off his legwork in the second half, rushing for three touchdowns in a come-from-behind 39-21 NEPSAC win over St. Sebastian’s. The junior QB finished with 232 passing yards and five total touchdowns.
Andrew Kiricoples, Bishop Fenwick — The sophomore threw for 192 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for a third score in a 34-6 Catholic Central League road win.
Elai Machado, KIPP — The 6-foot-4-inch junior quarterback ran for touchdowns of 15, 45, and 40 yards, and tossed a 20-yard scoring strike for the Panthers in a 41-6 Commonwealth Conference win over Lowell Catholic.
Jalen Morris, Rivers — The biggest rushing performance of the day belonged to the junior, who took 23 carries for 259 yards and four scores in a 47-6 NEPSAC win over Governor’s.
Brady Shuffain, Sharon — The junior had himself a day, throwing for 381 yards and four touchdowns in a 46-6 win over Fitchburg that featured several big performances, including Matt Khrakovsky’s 207 rushing yards and three scores and Joseph Seaman’s 119 receiving yards and two TDs.
Jake Strojny, Roxbury Latin — The senior quarterback combined three passing TDs with one on the ground to beat St. George’s, 30-0, in NEPSAC action.
Here’s betting Classical (R.I.) senior Bam Adebayo had quite the interesting Saturday morning.
The 6-foot, 160-pound cornerback/safety posted that he got his first preferred walk-on offer from URI. No doubt a big moment. A chance to play Division 1 football in his homestate.
Then Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell took notice, quote-tweeting the post and tagging Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo, who ironically, uses the X handle @Bam1of1.
“Congrats bro!! Keep working” Mitchell wrote.
Brady Shuffain, Sharon, 381
Chris Vargas, St. John’s Prep, 268
Peter Bourque, Tabor, 232
Andrew Kiricoples, Bishop Fenwick, 192
Brady Shuffain, Sharon, 4
Chris Vargas, St. John’s Prep, 4
Jake Strojny, Roxbury Latin, 3
Peter Bourque, Tabor, 2
Andrew Kiricoples, Bishop Fenwick, 2
Jalen Morris, Rivers, 259
Matt Khrakovsky, Sharon, 207
Dylan Patturelli, Bishop Fenwick, 142
Aavian Peña, KIPP, 116
Zack Deschenes, Nashoba Valley Tech, 4
Jalen Morris, Rivers, 4
Peter Bourque, Tabor, 3
Matt Khrakovsky, Sharon, 3
Elia Machado, KIPP, 3
Ryan Beede, Northeast, 2
Xavier Hairston, Taft, 2
Ziah Herring, Greater Lawrence, 2
Joel LaChapelle, Northbridge, 2
Dylan Patturelli, Bishop Fenwick, 2
Nikki Santos, Cambridge, 130
Riley Selvais, St. John’s Prep, 130
Joseph Seaman, Sharon, 119
Riley Selvais, St. John’s Prep, 2
6. Field hockey leaderboard
Jordi Higgins, Bishop Feehan, 4
Alexa Heller, Wellesley, 2
Sydney Kim, Wellesley, 2
Annie Liebhoff, Rivers, 2
Ciara Maloney, Medway, 2
Lauren Mattia, Lynnfield, 2
Olivia McCormick, Hanover, 2
Natalie McMenamy, Medway, 2
Effie Parsons, St. Mary’s, 2
Caroline Vaughan, Andover, 2
Jordi Higgins, Bishop Feehan, 4
Bridgette McGinnis, Bishop Feehan, 3
7. Volleyball leaderboard
Julie Hall, Central Catholic, 25
Tess Madden, Hanover, 22
Erin Root, Old Rochester, 14
Mia Milani, Bellingham, 13
Lila Arkinstall, Wakefield, 12
Victoria Reposa, Reading, 12
Mia Kenny, Wakefield, 11
Lila Moniz, Marblehead, 11
Anna Fernandez, Westford, 10
Bonnie Politzer, Chelmsford, 10
Sadie Stants, Needham, 10
Jessie Wang, Andover, 10
Kyra Ward, Chelmsford, 10
Elizabeth Willis, East Bridgewater, 10
Madison Blanchet, Central Catholic, 38
Maya Morrison, Old Rochester, 37
Sadie Chadwick, Hanover, 35
Eva Burke, Marblehead, 29
Bella Lee, Needham, 27
Ellen Griswold, Chelmsford, 25
Erin Bigham, Canton, 24
Tori Grace, Wakefield, 18
Gianna Miceli, Reading, 16
Addison Parent, Somerset Berkley, 14
Cara Carangelo, Wakefield, 33
Julie Hall, Central Catholic, 20
Soley Rodriguez Martinez, Canton, 7
Sophia Soto, Bellingham, 14
Sydney Faris, Marblehead, 13
Olivia Lesswing, Haverhill, 10
Ryleigh Brown, Somerset Berkley, 9
Erin Bigham, Canton, 8
Addison Parent, Somerset Berkley, 8
Kaitlyn Pepin, Westford, 6
Kaely Dos Santos, Somerset Berkley, 5
Piper Newell, Old Rochester, 4
Katie Ferrara, Somerset Berkley, 3
Mary Furey, Reading, 3
Norah Schweitzer, Westford, 3
Naomi Vajda, Andover, 3
Ellen Griswold, Chelmsford, 7
Bella Lee, Needham, 7
Bonnie Politzer, Chelmsford, 7
Faith Najem, Whitinsville Christian, 6
Claire Zhang, Andover, 6
Brie Cairns, Chelmsford, 5
Alicia Marcal, Chelmsford, 5
Kaitlyn Pepin, Westford, 5
Dylan Poirier, Hanover, 5
Sophia Soto, Bellingham, 5
Kyra Ward, Chelmsford, 5
Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.
Gas prices dipped below $4 a gallon in Massachusetts Thursday for the first time in exactly two months.
According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Massachusetts is now $3.99, down from $4.02 on Wednesday.
That’s the first time the average fell below the $4 mark since April 25.
The national average on Thursday was $3.92 a gallon, AAA said. That average was above $4 for nearly three months before it fell to $3.99 a week ago on June 18.
Gas prices rose sharply after the war between the U.S. and Iran started on February 28.
A spokesperson for GasBuddy, which also tracks fuel price data, said the national average has been dropping for six weeks as the “recent U.S.-Iran framework agreement has helped ease supply fears.”
The company said the national average should keep falling to $3.75 by July 4.
“Six weeks of declines sounds like good news, and in some ways it is, but the context matters,” Patrick De Haan, a petroleum expert at GasBuddy, said in a statement Thursday.
“At roughly $3.75, this would be the second most expensive July 4 ever recorded, roughly 65 cents higher than last year and nearly $1 above where prices started in 2026. The U.S.-Iran agreement gives markets hope, but it’s being tested, and any breakdown in those talks could reverse the recent relief quickly. Drivers should use every tool available to find the lowest prices near them before filling up.”
A year ago at this time, the average price for a gallon of gas in Massachusetts was $3.10, according to AAA.
The all-time high in the state is $5.05 a gallon, set back in June 2022.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts man accused of wanting sex with girl busted in World Cup trafficking operation
A Massachusetts man who allegedly looked to have sex with a 15-year-old girl and bring drugs and alcohol to the meet-up has been arrested during a crackdown on human trafficking amid the World Cup.
Richard Lallier, 34, of Rehoboth, is one of 13 individuals who face exploitation and trafficking charges stemming from an operation that the FBI Boston has partnered on with the Massachusetts State Police and Rhode Island State Police during the global soccer tournament, dubbed “Operation Red Card.”
“Participating agencies emphasized that while major international sporting events bring significant economic and cultural benefits to host communities,” the Rhode Island State Police said in a statement on Tuesday, “they may also create opportunities for traffickers and those who exploit vulnerable populations.”
“Law enforcement agencies throughout the region remain committed to proactive enforcement efforts designed to deter human trafficking, identify victims, and hold offenders accountable,” the State Police added.
The Rhode Island State Police arrested six individuals, including Lallier, while the Massachusetts State Police apprehended seven suspects during a five-day operation between June 12 and 16.
The suspects arrested in Massachusetts range in age between 21 and 71, all of whom have been arraigned on state charges of sex for a fee with a child under 18, enticement of a child under 16, and attempted rape of a child.
In Rhode Island, Lallier, with a last known address in Rehoboth, is being held without bail on charges of attempted enticement, attempted interstate travel for sexual contact with a minor under 16 years old, and attempted transmission of obscene material to a minor.
Lindsay Laurie, a Rhode Island state trooper who went undercover to operate a Facebook profile that featured “age-regressed images” of herself, said in an affidavit that she informed Lallier via Messenger that he was speaking to a 15-year-old.
In response, Lallier, who went by the name of “Frank Land” on Facebook, allegedly said he was 34 years old before he asked for a “naughty video.”
Lallier also allegedly “sent multiple videos of his penis” to the undercover profile.
Two days later, last Wednesday, Lallier messaged the undercover profile again, explaining that he wanted to find “snow,” a “code word for cocaine,” Laurie stated. Lallier said he would “bring weed and fireball” to a meetup.
Last Friday, after Lallier confirmed to the undercover profile that he arrived in Rhode Island’s Lincoln Woods State Park, authorities arrested him, according to Laurie’s affidavit.
Major international events, such as the World Cup, lead to “large-scale travel” and “increased demand for lodging,” creating “opportunities for criminal exploitation,” according to Michael Soper, the program director of Boston Hotel Watch, an intelligence network connecting hotels and law enforcement.
Soper pointed to the “rapid expansion of short-term rental platforms” in creating a “significant and evolving challenge” to prevent human trafficking since the accommodations often have “less oversight, fewer standardized security protocols, and limited participation in established reporting networks.”
“As a result,” Soper said in a statement shared with the Herald, “illicit activity may occur outside the visibility of hospitality professionals and law enforcement partnerships, making the full scope of the problem difficult to measure.”
“We are proud to support this remarkable group of nonprofit organizations and the essential work they do across Massachusetts,” Sincere Foundation Executive Director Rebecca Reiner said in a statement. “Their collective impact strengthens communities throughout the Commonwealth and we are honored to help advance their efforts.”
According to the foundation, grant recipients were selected across three focus areas: food security, housing stability, and safe spaces. Organizations receiving support in the food security category alongside Food Link include The Open Door in Gloucester, Worcester County Food Bank, Food For Free, and other nonprofits working to increase access to nutritious food.
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